Tag: Jared Mallers

Oliver Ames captains Max Bamford, Chris Romero, Keegan Nutt and head coach John Barata with the D2 State Championship. (Josh Perry/HockomockSports.com)Click here to purchase photos from OA’s celebration.
By Josh Perry, Managing Editor
LYNN, Mass. – When last year’s Div. 2 state title game ended, Oliver Ames players grabbed the runner-up trophy and raised it high in celebration of reaching the program’s first ever championship game.
When OA took the pitch on Saturday morning at Manning Field for this year’s state title game against Masconomet, the Tigers were not going to be happy settling for second place again.
The experience of last season paid dividends. OA bounced back from an early Masco goal to defeat the Chieftains 3-1 on three well-executed set pieces and clinched the program’s first state championship.
“Since we came here once, we knew how to play this game,” said OA coach John Barata. “It’s different; it’s a one-game season against a top team from the North.
“It’s a great feeling to win because it would’ve been horrible to come back-to-back years and lose again. The guys worked hard and they deserved it. We earned that win.”
Masco jumped into the lead in the 12th minute. A long throw from Alex Spaulding reached Josh Polakiewicz on the corner of the six-yard box and he flicked a header up over OA keeper Jack Carroll.
OA had lost the momentum after a decent start, but the Tigers utilized the experience of two straight runs to the South title and stayed in the game.
Senior Chris Romero equalized in the 19th minute when the Tigers were awarded a free kick just outside the box. It may have been a harsh call, but Romero did not mind as he curled his 20-yard shot past the despairing dive of Steven Heitzelman.
“They had all the momentum,” said Romero, “and we really needed the quick goal to get the momentum back, so I think it helped us pushing forward.”
Just five minutes later OA took the lead. Romero played an in-swinging corner kick that Heitzelman failed to hold. The ball dropped to the foot of sophomore Nathaniel Cardoza, who was in the right place at the right time to tap it in.
Cardoza also had the winning goal in overtime to win the South title for the Tigers. Barata said of the midfielder, “He is a very good player, diligent player. He’s a DI school’s dream and he’s only a sophomore. I’m very lucky to have him.”
Masco coach Jared Scarpaci noted, “The first [set piece], you don’t get a better free kick than that and you just tip your hat. The second one, I think we could have done a little bit better on that and that’s really when the momentum shifted.”
The Chieftains, who won the title in 2013 and have reached the state title game in three of the past four seasons (the last two in Div. 2), had their chances to equalize before the break. Shane Collins could not take advantage off of a poor clearance by Carroll to score into an empty net and then he set up Bryan Gilbert, who scuffed a shot while all alone in the box.
“They missed a couple of sitters that could have changed the game,” said Barata. “That’s the way soccer goes; I’ll take it.”
Carroll also came through with a big save to deny Blaise Romanowski in the final five minutes of the half, tipping over the Masco striker’s close-range effort off a free kick.
Seven minutes after the break, Romero showed his defensive prowess by heading out a Andrew Musiak corner underneath his own crossbar.
Barata explained, “You can see why he’s an all-state player. He starts on the left wing, scores a beautiful goal, he plays forward, and then we move him to the back and he was excellent at the back.”
In the 57th minute, OA sealed the title with another set piece that was straight off the training ground. Instead of playing an angled free kick into the box, Romero played the ball straight into the path of Matt Alvarado and the sophomore sent an inch-perfect cross into the box to a wide open Thomas McCormick, who nodded home the Tigers’ third.
“You couldn’t ask for anything better,” said Romero. “Alvarado down the line and crosses it for Thomas to head it in…perfect play.”
Barata credited the week of between games for allowing his team to work on set pieces and, as he explained, it “paid off” of Saturday.
“It worked like a charm today,” he said about the routine for the third goal. “We’ve done that a number of times and it’s gone over the bar, off the bar, off a defender, but today it was destined.”
Romero and the rest of his teammates charged towards the traveling OA fans at the final whistle, celebrating the first state title with friends and family. The Tigers reached their first sectional title in 2013, won the South for the first time last year, and now have won the state championship.
It has been a long and successful career for the OA captain and, when asked how it felt to get to this level, Romero responded succinctly, “It’s pretty awesome. It’s awesome to be a state champ.”Click here to purchase photos from OA’s celebration. Josh Perry can be contacted at JoshPerry@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @Josh_Perry10.

NORTH EASTON, Mass. – Junior Thomas McCormick scored in the 33rd minute and Oliver Ames was able to shut out Milton in a 1-0 win on Friday afternoon.

Senior Keegan Nutt used his head to flick on a ball over the top of the defense. McCormick was able to get a touch to it and get in front of the defender and rifled a shot into the net to make it 1-0 shortly before halftime.

“It was a tough game,” Oliver Ames head coach John Barata said. “That team, if they play in the Hockomock is not 9-10, they’re a very good team. Mike has done a good job with his guys. It was a good battle for us. You know the first game of the tournament is going to be hard. Now we get to play Hingham, again.”

Oliver Ames came out of the gates with a good pace and applied the pressure to the wildcats. A neat combo from Max Bamford to Thomas McCormick to Cam Vella results in a shot from 25 yards out but Vella’s bid bounced just wide at the far post.

Tigers’ goalie Jack Carroll was called into action 12 minutes in. Milton had a free kick from the corner of the area that was struck on goal from Josh Madden but Carroll covered his near post well to pull in the shot.

Just four minutes later, Romero danced his way past a pair of defenders and unleashed a shot from inside the area on a tight angle but Milton keeper Joe Morfin was there for one of his nine saves in the game.

Morfin was called into action with just over 15 minutes to play in the first half when pressure from Romero resulted in a deflected clearance. Morfin was forced to back pedal and get a hand to the ball as he was falling into his own net.

Carroll had to deal with a deflection himself just two minutes later when Stefan Richardson ripped a shot from the 18 yard line that deflected off a defender. Carroll was forced into a diving save at the far post to keep the ball out.

McCormick put the home side ahead in the 33rd minute and Nutt nearly doubled the lead just a minute later but Morfin was well positioned for the save.

It was mostly a back and forth battle in the second half and it wasn’t until midway through when Nutt took a pass from Jack Sheldon but his bid was right at Morfin.

Milton threatened just two minutes later when Madden whipped in a corner that was headed by Louis Fitzgerald but Carroll got down on the ball before a late slide.

While OA registered 10 shots on target, the Wildcats had six but were limited in the run of play thanks in large part to a strong effort from Max Ahern, Jared Mallers, Cam Johnson and Bamford.

“They did their job,” Barata said. “We had to play with guys forward. I thought the back three did their job with Cam Johnson in front of them did well. I thought we created more chances when we had Cardoza, Cam, Keegan, Romero and McCormick all up.”

In the 68th minute, the Wildcats had their best chance at an equalizer. On a long free kick, Alden Odmilson Rosa flicked the ball on and Richardson raced onto it. Before Carroll could slide onto it, Richardson touched around him and had a chance on goal but Romero was in perfect position and blocked the shot from going in.

It was a good spot for Romero, who had played mostly in an attacking role for the majority of the game. Late in the second half, Barata moved him back to defense, a spot where Romero has played in the past.

“Chris Romero is an MVP candidate, I think he’s certainly one of the best players in the league,” Barata said. “His versatility, not many players have it. You can put him at left mid or forward or center back and he does his job, three times too. He had the clearance, he chased the Herget Division MVP down to get the ball and then defended the shot that went on frame. I’m very lucky to have him.”

Oliver Ames’ next opponent will be Hingham, a team that the Tigers have eliminated in two straight tournaments, including in the D2 South Finals last year.

“We’ve seen them the last two years and we know they’re an excellent team, they’re awesome on the ball,” Barata said. “I think they won their league this year so they’re motivated and obviously they want revenge. It will be a tough game on Sunday.”

The Tigers will play host to the Harbormen on Sunday at 5:00 at Mustaco Stadium.

Ryan Lanigan can be contacted at RyanLanigan@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @R_Lanigan.

NORTH EASTON, Mass. – Junior Thomas McCormick scored in the 33rd minute and Oliver Ames was able to shut out Milton in a 1-0 win on Friday afternoon.

Senior Keegan Nutt used his head to flick on a ball over the top of the defense. McCormick was able to get a touch to it and get in front of the defender and rifled a shot into the net to make it 1-0 shortly before halftime.

“It was a tough game,” Oliver Ames head coach John Barata said. “That team, if they play in the Hockomock is not 9-10, they’re a very good team. Mike has done a good job with his guys. It was a good battle for us. You know the first game of the tournament is going to be hard. Now we get to play Hingham, again.”

Oliver Ames came out of the gates with a good pace and applied the pressure to the wildcats. A neat combo from Max Bamford to Thomas McCormick to Cam Vella results in a shot from 25 yards out but Vella’s bid bounced just wide at the far post.

Tigers’ goalie Jack Carroll was called into action 12 minutes in. Milton had a free kick from the corner of the area that was struck on goal from Josh Madden but Carroll covered his near post well to pull in the shot.

Just four minutes later, Romero danced his way past a pair of defenders and unleashed a shot from inside the area on a tight angle but Milton keeper Joe Morfin was there for one of his nine saves in the game.

Morfin was called into action with just over 15 minutes to play in the first half when pressure from Romero resulted in a deflected clearance. Morfin was forced to back pedal and get a hand to the ball as he was falling into his own net.

Carroll had to deal with a deflection himself just two minutes later when Stefan Richardson ripped a shot from the 18 yard line that deflected off a defender. Carroll was forced into a diving save at the far post to keep the ball out.

McCormick put the home side ahead in the 33rd minute and Nutt nearly doubled the lead just a minute later but Morfin was well positioned for the save.

It was mostly a back and forth battle in the second half and it wasn’t until midway through when Nutt took a pass from Jack Sheldon but his bid was right at Morfin.

Milton threatened just two minutes later when Madden whipped in a corner that was headed by Louis Fitzgerald but Carroll got down on the ball before a late slide.

While OA registered 10 shots on target, the Wildcats had six but were limited in the run of play thanks in large part to a strong effort from Max Ahern, Jared Mallers, Cam Johnson and Bamford.

“They did their job,” Barata said. “We had to play with guys forward. I thought the back three did their job with Cam Johnson in front of them did well. I thought we created more chances when we had Cardoza, Cam, Keegan, Romero and McCormick all up.”

In the 68th minute, the Wildcats had their best chance at an equalizer. On a long free kick, Alden Odmilson Rosa flicked the ball on and Richardson raced onto it. Before Carroll could slide onto it, Richardson touched around him and had a chance on goal but Romero was in perfect position and blocked the shot from going in.

It was a good spot for Romero, who had played mostly in an attacking role for the majority of the game. Late in the second half, Barata moved him back to defense, a spot where Romero has played in the past.

“Chris Romero is an MVP candidate, I think he’s certainly one of the best players in the league,” Barata said. “His versatility, not many players have it. You can put him at left mid or forward or center back and he does his job, three times too. He had the clearance, he chased the Herget Division MVP down to get the ball and then defended the shot that went on frame. I’m very lucky to have him.”

Oliver Ames’ next opponent will be Hingham, a team that the Tigers have eliminated in two straight tournaments, including in the D2 South Finals last year.

“We’ve seen them the last two years and we know they’re an excellent team, they’re awesome on the ball,” Barata said. “I think they won their league this year so they’re motivated and obviously they want revenge. It will be a tough game on Sunday.”

The Tigers will play host to the Harbormen on Sunday at 5:00 at Mustaco Stadium.

Ryan Lanigan can be contacted at RyanLanigan@hockomocksports.com and followed on Twitter at @R_Lanigan.

Today’s game are listed below.Boys Soccer
Milford, 0 @ Attleboro, 0 – Final – Milford senior goalie Mike Da Silva made five saves in net. Scarlet Hawks head coach Jim Asam said Luis Goncalves had a great game defensively and that Nick Roy, Gerson Miglorini and Anthony Martinez all played well off the bench.
Canton, 0 @ King Philip, 2 – Final – The Warriors took the lead in the 20th minute when Larsen Keys ball over the top sprung right back Ryan Coulter, who cut the ball back to Tyler Mann for the finish. In the second half, Cam Mullins scored on a long distance free kick to seal the win for KP. Mann also hit the post in the second half and Canton goalie Sean Mitchell made a great double save to rob Clayton Guess and Mann in the first half.

Sharon, 1 @ Franklin, 4 – Final– Kevin Hall opened the scoring for the Panthers off an assist from Farley Asmath while Austin Kent scored once in the first half and also set up Nick Parent. Hatim Brahimi converted a service from Brian Czuba in the second half for the Panthers.
Stoughton, 2 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final– Mansfield goalie Michael Kirejczyk played outstanding in goal with 12 saves according to head coach Steve Sheridan. High pressure paid off for Mansfield as Jared Miller opened the scoring inside the first 10 minutes to give the Hornets the early lead. Stoughton knotted the game at one apiece on a goal from Jordan Asnes but the Hornets once again took the lead after a throw in from Max Gurnon found its way into the back of the net. Mansfield put away it’s third goal of the game after a quick restart from Sean Lanzillo found Charlie Rogers and Rogers chipped his shot over the keeper into the back of the net. Stoughton’s second goal was scored by freshman Fabio Ponce De Leon after a long throw in from Josh Mitchell.
Oliver Ames, 4 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final – Oliver Ames held a slim one goal advantage at the break on a goal from sophomore Cam Vella on an assist from Thomas McCormick but exploded for three in the second half. Seniors Chris Romero and Keegan Nutt each scored in the second half and sophomore Matt Alvarado netted his first career goal. Jack Sheldon, Nutt and Romero all had assists. Head coach John Barata said Nathaniel Cardoza had a strong game in the midfield while Max Ahearn, Jared Mallers and Max Bamford were strong in the back. Jack Carroll and Connor Naughton combined for the shutout in goal. Girls Soccer
Attleboro, 0 @ Milford, 1 – Final– Milford’s Katie Brown scored the lone goal of the match on an assist from Kristen Franzini. Emily Duquette made 10 saves in net for the Scarlet Hawks.
King Philip, 0 @ Canton, 2 – Final – The Bulldogs dominated possession from start to finish but struggled to get the ball past KP goalie Maggie Hall. The Warriors nearly took the lead with their only chance of the second half when Kate Sexton sent in a low cross to Maddie Smith, who was denied by a point-blank save by Kathryn Doody. With 12 minutes left to play, Tessa Cudmore slipped a pass behind the right back to Sarah Collins whose shot was tipped on to the bar into the path of senior Meaghan Hunter on the far post. Four minutes later, Hannah Link followed her own shot to put the game away.

Taunton, 0 @ Foxboro, 1 – Final

Franklin, 8 @ Sharon, 0 – Final
Mansfield, 4 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final– Hannah Reiter, Jackie Carchedi and Emma Goulet each found the back of the net once and recorded an assist for Mansfield in the Hornets’ win. Jen Kemp also found the back of the Hornets. Stoughton goalie Marissa Williams made 11 saves in net and junior Amelia Cochran scored the Black Knights’ lone goal
North Attleboro, 2 @ Oliver Ames, 1 – Final – Hana Caster scored the opening goal inside the first 15 minutes of the first half off an assist from Haley Guertin. Oliver Ames tied the game early in the second half when Francesca Calabraro converted a cross from Erin Fitzgerald. But North struck again late as Caster returned the favor to Guertin for the game winning goal. North Attleboro head coach Glenn Pasquel credited goalie Kiesten Bixby as the MVP of the game after making some “phenomenal saves.” Volleyball
Mansfield, 3 vs. Bishop Feehan, 2 – Final – After winning the first two games, the Hornets had to fight all the way to a fifth set against the Shamrocks. Mansfield won 25-21, 25-17, 18-25, 17-25, 15-12. Sarah Mullahy led Mansfield with 14 kills and six aces while Jessica Haradon added 11 kills and three aces. Field Hockey
Milford, 1 @ Attleboro, 2 – Final– Emily Houle and Grace Mayer each scored for the Bombardiers while Attleboro goalie Isabelle Maragnano made five saves in net. Milford’s Shannon Cormier cut the lead in half in the second half on an assist from Jessica Palmer.

Canton, 0 @ King Philip, 4 – Final– Caitlin Donahue scored twice and added an assist as King Philip jumped out to a 1-0 lead at halftime and never looked back. Donahue’s goals were assisted by Ally Meehan and Courtney Foley. Casie Curtin added a goal off an assist from Sedona Claypoole and Elizabeth Furfari scored on Donahue’s assists. The Warriors outshot Canton 12-5 in the contest.
Foxboro, 0 @ Taunton, 0 – Final
Sharon, 1 @ Franklin, 7 – Final– Julia Jette paced the Panthers with a pair of goals an assists in the win. Franklin senior Kelsey McPhee opened the scoring on assists from senior Kenzi Pleshaw junior Caroline Lounsbury. Senior Diana Griffin, sophomore Christina Quinn, junior Caroline Lounsbury, junior Kayla Marshall each added goals and junior Alex Sullivan had two assists. Senior Kate D’Entremont earned the victory between the pipes.
Stoughton, 1 @ Mansfield, 3 – Final– Mansfield’s Emily Ierardo scored a pair of goals and Mary Kate Kelly added a third for the Hornets. Angela Connolly scored the lone goal for Stoughton assisted by Olivia Schlehuber.
Oliver Ames, 2 @ North Attleboro, 0 – Final – Missy Krim scored once in each half, assisted by Hannah Friend and Carly Cidado as the Tigers picked up their first shutout of the season. Cross Country
Canton @ Nauset Regional, 4:15
Sharon @ West BridgewaterGolf
Franklin, 181 @ Mansfield, 165 – Final– Mansfield’s David Craig was the match medalist, shooting a 38. Kyle Swansburg carded a 41 while Matt Chirichiello and David Norris each shot a 43. Franklin’s Bryan Woelfel shot a team best 42 for the Panthers.
Attleboro, 171 @ Oliver Ames, 142 – Final – Jack Green scored a match-low 34 for the Tigers while Steven Tasho and Nick Lombardi each shot 35 and Bran Lambert had a 38. Attleboro’s Corey McKenna shot a team-low 40.

Taunton, 20 vs. New Bedford, 45 – FinalTaunton scoring only1st Quarter: No scoring.2nd Quarter: Jared Tage 13 yard pass to Brian Cherenfant, Jason DaRosa 2pt rush.3rd Quarter: J. DaRosa 5 yard rush, 2pt fail.4th Quarter: J. DaRosa 2 yard rush, 2pt fail.Boys Soccer
Attleboro, 0 @ Sharon, 1 – Final – Jake Goloboy scores the lone goal of the game three minutes into the second half to give the Eagles their first win of the season. Goloboy’s goal was set up when Matt Lowerre fed Sunny Somdah a through ball and Somdah got to the ball and cross over to Goloboy for the goal.
Franklin, 2 @ Foxboro, 0 – Final – Franklin’s Kevin Hall headed home a cross from Austin Kent in the first half and then Kent converted a penalty kick in the second half to give Franklin its first win of the season.

King Philip, 0 @ Milford, 3 – Final– Milford freshman Joey Madden scored his first career goal just over 10 minutes into the game to give the Scarlet Hawks the lead. In the second half, Sttarley Flores found the back of the net after a great feed from Justin Borges. Borges then tacked on the third goal shortly before the final whistle on an assist from Jon Torres. Milford goalie Mike Da Silva made eight saves in net.
North Attleboro, 0 @ Stoughton, 1 – Final – Loubensky Lucas volleyed in a corner from Jordan Asnes in the 30th minute for the lone goal of the game. North Attleboro goalie Rob Heaney played well for the Rocketeers with six saves.
Taunton, 0 @ Oliver Ames, 3 – Final – Oliver Ames seniors Chris Romero and Keegan Nutt and junior Thomas McCormick all scored once and picked up an assist as the Tigers rolled. Jack Carroll made two saves in net to record his second straight shutout. Head coach John Barata said Nathaniel Cardoza and Cam Vella played “extremely well” in the midfield while Jared Mallers, Max Ahearn and Max Bamford guided the Tigers defense to its second straight shutout. Girls Soccer
Sharon, 2 @ Attleboro, 3 – Final – Rebekah Entwistle scored two goals in the opening six minutes of the game and Kayla Merritt added the Bombardiers third. Paige Medeiros had two assists for Attleboro.
Foxboro, 0 @ Franklin, 2 – Final – The Panthers got goals from defenders Meghan Dieterle and Nadia Havens to earn their first win of the season.
Milford, 2 @ King Philip, 3 – Final – Nicole Dahlgren scored two minutes into the game for Milford and 13 minutes later KP tied the game on a penalty by Emma Corcoran. Seven minutes later, the Warriors took the lead on a header by freshman Logan Greenburg off a corner by Lauren Hehn. Milford tied the game on a Kristen Franzini penalty in the 28th minute. With nine minutes left, KP found the winner when Elizabeth Cooley found the top corner from 25 yards off an assist by Kelly McSweeney.Volleyball
Attleboro, 0 @ Sharon, 3 – Final – Sharon grabbed its first win of the season with a 25-14, 25-17, 25-23 win over the Bombardiers.

Mansfield, 0 @ Canton, 3 – Final – Canton moved to 2-0 on the season with a 25-14, 25-20, 25-15 win over the Hornets. Olivia Devoe had another big game at libero with 20 digs, Elizabeth Hamilton had a game-high 15 kills, Rye Verille chipped in with seven kills and three blocks. Head coach Pat Cawley said Sarah Reissfelder and Emma Murphy were strong at the net. For Mansfield, Cathryn Heavey recorded 27 assists and Meg Hill had five kills.

Franklin, 3 @ Foxboro, 2 – Final – Franklin was able to edge the Warriors 21-25, 25-21, 8-25, 29-27, 15-12. Franklin’s Dayna McCue had a match-high 47 serve receives and added 14 digs, Alyssa Shea had 11 kills, Caroline Maguire also had 11 kills and added a pair of blocks and aces while Beth Neal had 27 assists, eight kills and four aces for the Panthers.

King Philip, 3 @ Milford, 0 – Final – King Philip swept by the scores of 28-26, 25-17 and 25-10. Emma Lopez had four aces for the Warriors, Josie Rowean had 12 kills and Micaela Murray had a team-high in digs. King Philip moved to 2-0 on the season.

North Attleboro, 1 @ Stoughton, 3 – Final – Stoughton won the first game 25-19, North Attleboro battled back with a 25-23 win in the second game but Stoughton won out, 25-19 in the third set and 26-24 in the fourth set. Stoughton senior Bianca DeSousa shined for the Black Knights with 19 digs, 11 assists, six aces, six kills and three blocks. Bridgette Whalen had nine blocks, seven kills and 14 digs and Ava Siegel added five kills and 22 digs for Stoughton.

Taunton, 3 @ Oliver Ames, 0 – Final– Taunton swept 25-21, 25-13, 25-21. Tatum Speicher shined with 25 assists and two aces while a pair of Tiger middle hitters played well at the net. Alyssa Gibson had four kills and three blocks and Aimee Kistner had seven kills, three aces and a block. Field Hockey
Attleboro, 8 @ Sharon, 0 – Final– Attleboro jumped out to a 3-0 lead at halftime and added five more goals in the second half to move to 2-0 on the season, still yet to surrender a goal. Grace Mayer and Emily Houle each scored twice for the Bombardiers.

Mansfield, 2 @ Canton, 1 – Final – Caroline Maher and Emily Ierardo each scored a goal for the Hornets, who moved to 2-0 on the season. Canton senior Abby Powers scored her first varsity goal on an assist from Caroline Hagan as the Bulldogs suffered their first loss this year.

Canton

2014 Record: 9-7-22014 Finish: Reached MIAA D2 South First RoundCoach: Danny Erickson
The Bulldogs punched a ticket to the postseason for the 9th straight year and 2014 and with a good crop of returning and experienced players, a 10th straight trip is in the cards. Seniors Pat Hession and Joey Basile both have a good amount of experience and were key contributors to last year’s squad.
Although the Bulldogs will have the fill the void left with Hockomock League MVP Damian Kozak graduated, coach Danny Erickson seems to always have his team playing at a high level. Junior Sam Papakonstantino emerged as a strong threat last year and sophomore Jake Verille had a breakout rookie season and could become a top target for the Bulldogs.
Erickson said he hopes to keep possession better in 2015 and aim to pressure high to force mistakes from opponents. Sophomore Ben Waterhouse is someone who would be a big player this season while freshmen Griffin Roach and Paul Corcoran could make an impact in their first season.

Foxboro

2014 Record: 15-5-12014 Finish: Reached MIAA D3 South SemifinalCoach: Joe Franchino
With only two starters from last year’s Davenport Division winning team gone, the Warriors are in good position to repeat and make a deep playoff push.
Foxboro has a new coach in Joe Franchino, who made 162 appearances for the New England Revolution, but don’t expect a lot to change with the Warriors. The 2014 HockomockSports.com Underclassman of the Year Joe Morrison is back to control the midfield and has the chance of being the best player in the league this year.
“I’ve inherited a great squad and they have worked really hard so far,” Franchino said. “They are making it difficult for me to pick a starting squad.”
The entire back four is back with Jeff Melo and Rob Lowey anchoring the middle while two-time Hockomock League All Star Devante Teixeira and his speed and skill will make it very hard for opponents to handle both him and Morrison. Franchino expects that they will get everyone’s best effort this year but with so much returning talent and a couple new faces, the Warriors are in good shape.

Milford

2014 Record: 5-11-22014 Finish: Missed PlayoffsCoach: Jim Asam
The Scarlet Hawks started off last season by going undefeated in the first four games but only earned two more wins the rest of the way. With a strong group of seniors set for this season, Milford will look to get back in the playoff picture.
Mike Da Silva returns for his fourth year patrolling Milford’s net and two-time captain Justin Borges, who is one of the more versatile players in the league, will be a player team’s will have to worry about coming forward from the midfield. On defense, senior Luis Goncalves is back to help and try limit the opportunities from opposing offenses.
Milford will also get Sttarley Flores back after missing the entire 2014 season with an injury while seniors Matt Fornaciari and John Martins and junior Marcelo Panno will all play vital roles for coach Jim Asam.

Oliver Ames

2014 Record: 13-6-22014 Finish: Reached MIAA D2 State FinalsCoach: John Barata
After reaching the D2 State Finals in 2014, the Tigers have plenty of returning talent back for this season. Chris Romero is one of the more tenured players in the league and is also one of the most versatile while fellow captain senior Keegan Nutt showed just how skilled he was last season in his first year.
“We are hoping to get into the MIAA tourney and we expect every game to be an all out battle,” head coach John Barata said. “We hope to compete well and get better everyday.”
Another experienced player back this season is junior Thomas McCormick, who has seen varsity time since his freshman year, as well as seniors Max Bamford, Jared Mallers and Max Ahearn. Sophomores Nathaniel Cardoza, Cam Vella, Matt Campbell and Jack Sheldon all saw a good amount of time as freshmen, with Cardoza emerging as one of OA’s best players. Although Foxboro is the favorite for the Davenport, the Tigers will likely be in the mix right until the end.

Sharon

2014 Record: 7-8-42014 Finish: Reached MIAA D2 South Preliminary RoundCoach: Bryan Kelly
After just two wins two years ago, the Eagles made it to the playoffs in coach Bryan Kelly’s first year in charge. With a good amount of returning talent, the Eagles will have a chance to compete for the Davenport title.
“This year we have a wealth of experience in all positions and returning players will be a major contributing factor,” head coach Bryan Kelly said. “We are a team that doesn’t have just one star but rather has 23 guys that will sub a lot and not lose skill in any position. This year will be an exciting year for Sharon soccer.”
The Eagles are hoping to improve their offense as they struggled to find consistency when it came to finding the back of the net. Senior captain Daniel Bender is back after missing all of last year and his presence in the center of the midfield could be a huge boost. Senior James Dunlea will also big a factor in the midfield and senior Sam Weidig will anchor the defense in the middle. HockomockSports.com Second Team goalie Andrew Filipkowski is back for his senior year while fellow varsity returnees Lucas Allaria and Mark Bloom will look to add some scoring punch. Kelly is hoping their speed will help give opponents fits while juniors Jake Teven, Ian Camilli and Shalin Patel are all new faces that could make a big impact.

Stoughton

2014 Record: 11-8-12014 Finish: Reached MIAA D2 South First RoundCoach: Aaron Salter
Over the past couple of seasons, the Black Knights have been headed in the right direction with the team making the playoffs last year for the first time in a decade. Aaron Salter takes over the program this year and will look to continue the push.
Salter will have a lot of experienced weapons back this season to continue the program’s upward trend. Goalie Kyle Silverman is back and Josh Mitchell, Will Peoples and Goddy Frombe will be key pieces in the middle of the field. All three have a lot of varsity minutes and their experience could be vital for Stoughton. Loubensky Lucas, who had an injury plagued sophomore year, will look to return back to the form he had during his freshman year (five goals). Another player to keep an eye on is Noah Schulze, who played a little bit of everything last year and could take on a much bigger role this year.
The Davenport is full of talent and might be one of the most competitive years since the split happened, but the Black Knights have enough talent that they won’t get lost in the mix.